Back to Square One
by Jedi Jesi Jiin
Summary: Mara is confronted with a person from her past, and when she is forced by to perform an unthinkable act against Luke, she loses control. The love shared by these two will be put hard to the test. Can Luke and Mara make it? This is a Luke and Mara story that is set sometime in between Vision of the Future, and Union. L/M are arguably my favorite couple in the Star Wars universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Back to Square One**

_**(Takes place between Vision of the Future and Union)**_

**_A/N:_**_I do not own Star Wars, or any of it's characters. All Star Wars characters/names/etc... belong to Lucasfilm/George Lucas_

**Chapter One**:

A cool draft of air brushed across her, gently lifting loose strands of hair from her face. When those strands came back down and tickled her nose, she ignored it.

Mara sat on a patch of grass in the garden area of the Jedi Temple. Lush blades of grass swayed with the artificial breeze. All around her was silent, and through the sections of transparisteel sun roofs, Coruscant's night shown. Most of the Jedi were asleep, and those that weren't were nowhere near the gardens.

And for that, Mara was deeply grateful.

Lately she'd had a lot on her mind with planning her wedding. She thought of Luke, who had been sound asleep when she left their room. He seemed to be taking all of the preparations without much fuss. She wondered how he could be so… calm. But she knew that he in fact did have some nerves. He'd voiced one such concern after their escape from Nirauan:

_I guess I just have some lingering doubts about why you'd want to marry me._

She sighed audibly, her concentration breaking slightly. Sleep had evaded her for a few days now, and she was beginning to feel the toll on her body. She couldn't quite pinpoint what was keeping her restless, but something was definitely bothering her. Mara shook her head and pushed her worries away, letting them dissipate into the Force. And with them gone, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

She lingered in meditation, relishing in the peace and comfort the Force allowed her to feel. She wasn't searching for answers at the moment; she simply wanted to be at peace. And more than anything, she needed to be alone.

Leia Solo had been a great help in the planning so far, and Mara was grateful to her sister-in-law. But it had all just become too overwhelming for her, and Mara knew that if she didn't find a way to dispel her frustration, she would explode at someone.

So alone Mara sat, enveloped in the calm radiance that was the Force. And only when she felt completely at ease did she start to search for answers. Mara tentatively sent out a tendril of Force energy, searching the fabric of the Force for a specific answer.

She felt something tug at her, as if it were calling her. Mara followed the summons, curiosity claiming her. What she would find, she hadn't a clue, but as she neared the source, something dark crossed her path.

Mara froze, losing contact with the summons. She reached out, trying to re-establish the connection. But every time she came close, that dark… _shadow, it looks like a shadow_, crossed her path again.

Something deep, deep inside Mara instinctively reached back, causing her to reel. But when her subconscious reacted to the shadow, it stopped moving. Mara was beginning to have a sinking feeling, and as the shadow became more distinct, dread filled her entire being.

…

Luke Skywalker stirred in his sleep as something cold and sinister slithered across his mind. The frigid touch came once more, and this time, Luke woke up. He stared into the dark room for a long moment, trying to make sense of the touch. But as he reached out to find the source of the disturbance, he had the sense of trying to grab oil from water with his bare hands. It slipped away from him, and Luke couldn't help but feel that whatever it was, it was taunting him.

Luke sat up, instinctively glancing to his right. That was when he noticed he was alone.

"Mara?" Luke called, thinking she might be in the refresher.

When no reply came, Luke stretched out with the Force, and found that he was indeed the only one in their chambers. But as he reached out to his fiancé through their bond, he found her… and visibly recoiled.

Mara's presence was teeming with fear, anger, and despair.

Luke was instantly on his feet, feeling for her location. He threw on a pair of pants and a tunic, and was out the door in moments.

**…**

"You have failed me Mara!" He hissed, his evil yellow eyes glaring venom at her.

"No!" Mara cried.

She tried to look away, but those eyes had always held a power over her that she could never quite shake.

"Yes, my Dear. You were sent to kill him, not marry him." He grinned, suddenly serene.

Mara had seen this a thousand times before: his sudden, thoughtful pauses… and she knew all too well what they meant. Her blood frosted over.

"So now, my dear," He continued. "You will pay the price for your betrayal."

"You don't own me anymore!" Mara ground out, knowing he could sense her utter terror.

When this man asked for a price to be paid, it was paid in full, and through the worst means possible.

"Oh, but I do, Mara. I raised you. _I_ created you, made you who you are." He sneered, suddenly huge and terrifying. "And I will have you as my Hand once more."

"NO!" Mara bellowed through his evil cackles.

She was shaking now, her emotions kaleidoscoping all around her. It wasn't until she heard her name being called multiple times that she realized she wasn't shaking, she was _being_ shaken.

"Mara!"

Her eyes snapped open, and she fell back, gasping in shock. Luke was beside her, his cerulean eyes fraught with concern. He was kneeling, his right hand grasping her left as he waited for her to get her breathing under control.

She held stock still, waiting for her head to clear, and trying to tell herself that it hadn't actually happened. But the more she came to, the more she realized that she was drenched with sweat and those hellish eyes were burned into her mind. And… his cruel laugh was still reverberating around her head; ringing horribly in her ears.

"Mara?" Luke asked again. Clearly afraid for her, he probed at her cautiously through their Force bond.

Without thinking, Mara threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She felt Luke's utter surprise, mixed with confusion, but he held her tight.

"What happened?" He questioned when she had quieted.

She couldn't quite bring herself to say his name. But nor could she ignore his warning.

_No, it was not a warning. It was a promise._ Mara thought bitterly.

Finally she pulled away and looked her fiancé square in the eyes.

"I saw Palpatine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**:

Two days later, Mara sat with Leia, looking through an annoyingly large volume of flower arrangements. Mara repressed a sigh for Leia's sake. Mara really didn't care what her wedding looked like: as long as Luke was there, she would be happy.

"How do you like these ones?" The clerk asked, bringing Mara back to reality.

Mara looked at the exotic bouquet pictured on the page, and scrunched her nose.

"Absolutely not." She said, a bit harshly.

When both Leia and the clerk winced, Mara closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, to both of you." Mara said, opening her emerald eyes again. "I just don't think I can do this today."

Mara studied the page again, wondering was really so bad about this flower arrangement. Or any of the other ones she had denied. Mara flipped through the photos they had already seen, and spotted one pattern.

Every bouquet she turned down had yellow flowers. The same color of Palpatine's eyes.

Suddenly furious, Mara jumped to her feet and stormed out of the shop.

"Hey!" Leia said when she caught up. "What's wrong?"

Mara was still fuming, but she refused to yell at her sister-in-law. Leia was just trying to help, and did not deserve to be the recipient of Mara's anger.

She was about to speak, when something caught her eye. A Barabel stood a few meters off, staring straight at her. When their eyes met, he hissed.

She frowned, and when her danger sense began to tingle, she grabbed Leia's arm.

"We need to get out of here."

Leia glanced back, spotted the Barabel, and acquiesced without another word. The two women walked as quickly as they could without drawing unwanted attention. Mara could feel the Barabel tailing them, and as they passed out of the main shopping area, Mara sensed three more emerge from various flanking positions.

Mara stopped, pushed Leia forward, and turned to face their pursuers. "Get out of here."

Leia took up a fighting stance beside Mara.

"Not a chance!"

Mara felt warmth at Leia's loyalty. She and her brother were so much alike.

As passerby's realized that a fight was about to break out, they scrambled out of the way. The lead Barabel bared his teeth at Mara, and signaled the attack. Mara and Leia's lightsabers hissed to life simultaneously, and they moved apart for some elbowroom.

A Barabel came at Leia, and Mara watched as she pivoted to meet the attack.

Mara didn't see what happened next because two more sprang at her. She saw that they brandished long staffs, with bulbous protrusions on either end. Mara did not recognize the weapons, but when purple lightning suddenly zapped to life at the staff ends, she realized that she was in trouble.

Leia must have realized the same thing, because she let out a startled gasp.

Mara held her saber up anyway, opening herself to the Force. The first Barabel struck high, twirling the staff as he sent it toward her head. Mara blocked, and then spun out of reach. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Leia take a hit on the leg and yelp in agony.

Mara felt her pain in the Force, but had no time to send her reassurance, because her two assailants struck again, one from each side. Mara jumped high over the first staff, and rolled beneath the second. As she came up on one knee, she pushed out with the Force, trying to knock the Barabel over, or at least make him move a few inches.

The reptile barely nudged.

Mara thought of Saba Sebatyne, and suddenly found herself wishing the Jedi Master were here. Mara ducked the same Barabel's next attack, but felt something zap her painfully in the small of her back.

She doubled over in pain, and light exploded before her eyes with the shock. This battle was not going to end well, and she knew it. Leia was still learning the ways of the Force, and Mara was greatly outnumbered.

_Luke!_

**…**

Sitting at a table in a tapcaf with Han Solo, Luke watched the skyline of Coruscant flow in all directions. When Mara had told him about her vision, she assured him she had told all. But Luke knew she was keeping something from him. He'd monitored her through their Force bond, had watched her eyes as she talked to him. Something had happened that frightened her tremendously, something more than just seeing her former master.

"So, you're sure this wasn't just wedding jitters?" Han asked.

Luke had told Han about Mara's vision. Han was a great listener, and he did his best to understand when Luke or Leia talked to him about the Force. Luke had always been thankful to his brother-in-law for that.

Luke shook his head, turning to face Han.

"No. This was real." Luke said. "Real enough to scare her. Han, I don't think I've ever seen Mara that afraid."

Han looked into his ale, and Luke could feel a question burning in his brother's mind.

Finally Han looked up. "You don't think it means Palpatine had a clone survive or something, do you?" he asked quietly. "Cause I thought you destroyed all of them on Byss."

Before Luke could answer, pain slammed into him through the Force. Luke jerked and his glass dropped from his hand. Han looked at him with alarm.

"What's wrong?"

Luke felt Leia's Force signature attached to the pain, and with it came a flash of fear.

"It's Leia, something's wrong."

Han immediately stood.

"Where?"

Luke stretched out with the Force, trying to locate his sister. That was when another burst of pain seared him… but this time it was both in the Force, and through his bond with Mara. White exploded in his mind's eye, and Luke stumbled, thinking that his vision was being affected by the sensation. Then he realized that he was seeing things from Mara's point of view.

"Luke!" Han steadied Luke with one hand.

Luke shook his head and lead Han from the restaurant at a run.

"Mara and Leia are under attack!"

**…**

Leia felt her arms tremble with the effort to stay ahead of her opponent. It was only by sheer willpower and the help of her limited Force abilities that she was still in this fight.

And though she was bruised and bloodied, Mara was in worse shape. Mara was being roughed by two Barabels, and one was difficult enough to fight. Mara had managed to inflict substantial damage to one of her attackers, but he refused to give in to his injuries.

Leia's Barabel jabbed at her abdomen, and as Leia moved to fend off the blow, her assailant swung around at the last second, swiping his tail through her legs. Leia hit the ground hard, tasting blood.

She saw Mara likewise take a hit, and then she slumped to the ground. Leia saw a nasty cut on her head where the Barabel's had hit her. She now lay unmoving in his scaly arms.

"Mara!" Leia cried.

She climbed to her feet as the Barabels began to retreat with Mara in tow. She hurled herself at the closest Barabel, and landed a punch to his right eye. He growled in outrage, and whirled on her.

He jabbed his staff into her middle and activated the electricity. Leia screamed in agony as the purple lightning coursed through her. She crumpled to the floor, gasping horribly for air. The last thing she heard before her world went black was the lead Barabel's voice.

"It'z Jedi Master Skywalker!" he sissed harshly. "Get her out of here!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**:

Han pushed his way through the crowd, and dropped to his knees at Leia's side.

"Leia?" He called, fear gripping at his heart. "Sweetheart?"

Leia had cuts, scrapes and bruises everywhere, but it was the nasty burns that really grabbed Han's attention.

Luke knelt next to him, and placed a hand on her head.

"She's alright Han." He assured his friend.

Han glared at Luke. "Alright? Does she look alright to you?"

Suddenly she stirred, and both men turned their full attention to her. Leia's eyes fluttered open, and Han hugged her close in relief.

Leia pulled back.

"Did you get them?"

Both men frowned.

"Get who?" Luke asked. "Leia, where is Mara?"

Her memory returned in a rush, and his sister's face drained of all color.

"Oh, Luke!" She cried. "The Barabels took Mara! I don't know why, or where."

"Barabels?" Luke echoed in consternation.

"Four of them total. They were waiting for us outside the floral shop. I'm pretty sure they were bounty hunters."

Han stood, and lifted his wife into his arms.

"We need to get those burns checked out." He said, studying them. "Where the hell did they come from?"

"They were using some kind of staff." Leia said wearily. "I've never seen them before."

"A staff did that?" Luke asked, indicating a nasty burn on her abdomen.

She nodded. "I know it sounds crazy, but the staffs had purple energy points at both ends. And I don't think our lightsabers really did much against them."

Han looked at Luke. "I need to get her out of here."

"Go, I'll catch up." Luke replied.

He studied the scene closely, noting burn marks concentrating in a certain area of the walkway. Something among the burn marks caught his attention, and he bent down to find blood.

Mara's blood.

Luke cursed, trying to think.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Luke turned around to see a young girl standing there, nervously pulling on her braided hair.

"Yes?" he asked gently.

"I saw the fight from over there." The girl pointed behind her to a viewing platform where people could gather for lunch, or simply get a nice view of the area.

Luke's heart skipped a beat. He knelt in front of her so he could look in her eyes.

"Did you see where they took the red haired woman?" He asked hopefully.

"I saw them take her into a black speeder, but it was all closed up. They went to that docking platform." Again she pointed, this time up and to the right.

Luke spotted the structure, and smiled at her. "Thank you, little one."

Luke stretched out with the Force, and indeed felt Mara's force signature moving that direction. He followed it until he hit empty space where a ship should have been docked. Luke went to the docking terminal and checked the logs.

A ship of four Barabels had in fact docked here, and had left about three standard hours later. But they hadn't filed a destination upon takeoff.

Luke reached for Mara in the Force and almost doubled over when her presence was nowhere to be found.

_She could be unconscious._ Luke thought.

But he quickly shook that thought away. If she were merely unconscious, her Force presence would still be there. But if she had died…

Luke attacked that thought with all the ferocity of an acklay protecting its young. He refused to believe that Mara was dead. He would have felt her pass.

Luke's breath caught painfully in his throat, and his heart clenched. Trying to focus, Luke racked his brain for clues.

He remembered the fear Mara had felt when Palpatine threatened to make her into his slave again. Could this be why she had been abducted?

Luke felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach as pieces fell into place. Before her vision, Mara had shared with Luke that she felt like she was being watched. And she hardly slept at night, because something was bothering her. Couple that with a Force vision, and now her kidnapping. Luke knew that four Barabels were a perfect choice for someone to send to apprehend a Jedi, because even a Jedi would be hard-pressed to ward off four fully grown Barabels.

There was no way this was a coincidence.

**…**

A wild herd of banthas caromed into her skull, and when she opened her eyes, a sharp, harsh light stabbed her already pounding head.

Mara groaned, trying to sit up. When her body didn't move, she looked to find she was shackled to a metal table.

She looked around, trying to get her bearings. But in this windowless room, there was nothing to be seen. Mara reached out with the Force… or tried to. She couldn't feel it.

Worried now, Mara struggled against her restraints.

A hiss from the other side of the lone door caught her attention, and Mara remembered the Barabel attack.

She froze when the door creaked open, and a searing heat blasted in, singing her eyebrows. She blinked away involuntary tears, and thought she could smell sulfur. Mara was still cataloging details when a cloaked figure entered the room, followed by two men in white coats.

Mara's eyes were riveted to the figure in the cloak. It couldn't be Palpatine…

"Mara Jade." The voice came from within the shadows of the hood, and Mara relaxed ever-so-slightly. That wasn't the Emperor's voice. Then the hood dropped, and Mara's relief went with it. "So good to see you."

"Sate Pestage." Mara breathed in terror. "No. You are dead."

"Only because I allowed the galaxy to think I was." Sate replied. "But I have some unfinished business to take care of. With you."

Mara swallowed hard. Sate Pestage had been Palpatine's closest advisor and friend next to Darth Vader. Sate had done Palpatine's dirty work for far longer than Mara had been alive, and as the Grand Vizier, he had enjoyed a life of luxury. But Sate was the cruelest, and most horrible man Mara had ever met.

_Aside from his master, of course._ Mara thought callously.

"But all of your clones died too." Mara said, trying to buy time, and information.

"Yes, all but this one." He indicated his body. "The Emperor helped me pass from my last dying body into this one so I could perform one final service for him."

Sate looked at her, and when he smiled happily, Mara couldn't help but recoil.

"You betrayed Palpatine: after he took you in, raised you, and fed you." Sate said, moving closer to his captive. "And he entrusted you with one simple act after his death. Kill Luke Skywalker."

Sate motioned to one of his goons, and the man went through the door, and then returned with an entire rack of torture devices. His partner left and returned with an electric generator.

"Mara Jade, you are charged with treason against Lord Palpatine. He gave you a task, and you failed." Sate smiled again. "And you know the punishment for failure."

As Sate's second assistant attached the two clamps for the electric box to her table, Mara spoke.

"So, are you going to torture me before you kill me? For old times' sake?" She ground out. "Haven't gotten your fill lately?"

"Oh, Mara. I'm not going to kill you, my dear." Sate promised. "No. After your initial punishment, you will receive a memory wipe of sorts."

That stopped Mara cold. Sate watched in glee as she realized what he was saying.

"You see, the Emperor made you his hand, and that is what you will always be. No matter how you try to hide from your past, you felt the draw when Palpatine called to you." Sate purred. "And just like his slave, you answered his call, because that is what he made you to be."

Mara slumped visibly, Sate's words slicing at her like nexu claws. And try as she might, she couldn't tell him off, because he was right. When Palpatine had called her, she had answered, even before knowing it.

"And when you receive your memory wipe, we will reprogram you to do the task the Emperor gave to you." This time Sate actually licked his lips. "And you know what? The task will be even more… intoxicating to watch because of how much you love Skywalker now."

Mara raised her head and glared blaster bolts at Sate.

"Touch him and I will rip you apart." She snarled viciously.

Sate ticked at her, wagging a finger.

"But, Mara, _I_ won't touch Skywalker. You will. And after you are done, I will wake you up to what you've done. I will leave just enough of your former self to fully comprehend what you are doing, but not enough to stop yourself." Sate motioned for his assistants to leave, and he turned to leer at her once more. "And after you have had plenty of time to hate yourself for killing your never-to-be husband, I will slay you like the whimpering pet you are."

Mara screamed at Sate, letting her hate flow; willing it to melt him on the spot. Three Barabels replaced the scientists, and took up a three-point guard on her.

Sate started to turn the knob on the generator when he abruptly stopped.

"I almost forgot." He said something into his sleeve, and Mara suddenly felt the Force return to her in a rush. "We wouldn't want Luke to miss out on any of the fun, now would we? Yes, I'd heard about this special… connection of yours. Let's see how intense it really is."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**:

Luke sat with Leia and Han in their apartment, pouring over datacards full of any and all evidence they had been able to find. Han had contacted some friends, and was able to get a name for their Barabel leader as Vanlock Tezar.

Luke was now trying to trace where the ship had gone, and he felt certain he was getting close. He knew for certain that the Barabels had gone somewhere in the outer rim, heading in the vague direction of Tatooine.

Luke stretched his back, feeling his muscles twinge. His eyes hurt from the endless search but he refused to give up.

Leia stood. She sported bandages here and there, but her most prominent bandage was the one wrapped around her waist.

"I'm going to make something for us to eat."

Luke nodded, offering his sister a grateful smile. He stood; ready to help, when Mara's presence suddenly reappeared. Luke smiled before he could stop himself.

"Mara!" he gasped in surprise.

Han and Leia both looked at him.

"I can feel her again!" Luke explained. He grasped at her presence and frowned at what he felt.

He felt utter terror, tempered with her fierce desire to stay strong and unhurt.

_Mara, where are you?_

Luke felt her pull her presence back and he chased after her, determined not to let her slip away again. When she continued to move away, Luke stopped. She was pushing at him as though she were trying to get him to go away.

And before Luke could wonder why, intense pain flooded Mara. It seared through the Force, enhanced by their connection, and the torment was so enhanced, so forceful, that Luke was knocked to the ground. He could almost hear Mara's screams in his head, could feel her blind despair.

Luke gasped at the intensity of her pain, breathing hard.

"Luke!" Leia was by his side, trying to pull him into a sitting position. "Luke, what's happening?"

Again pain exploded through the Force, and Luke blacked out.

**…**

Mara lost all sensation of time, and as her punishment commenced, she found herself seeking something, _anything_ to hold onto to help her get through it.

She reached out a fragile tendril of Force energy, seeking the one person she knew would fit the bill. She found Luke's presence, and when he did not immediately respond, Mara felt a surge of trepidation. But then his presence reached back, and Mara grabbed onto his presence like it was a buoy in her sea of pain.

She felt his support, and his promise that he was coming for her. She sent him her gratitude, along with the sensation of searing heat, trying to give him any clues she could. His presence frowned at first, but when she sent him the scent of sulfur, she sensed his understanding.

And that was when she remembered Sate's words.

_Oh, Stars! What have I done?!_ She berated herself.

She sent him warning thoughts in the Force, telling him not to come, for fear of what she would do to him.

An increase in voltage jolted Mara violently from the connection, and she heard an inhuman sound. Something was injected into her bloodstream, and through the pain, and the drugs, Mara realized that the sounds were coming from her.

Mara tried to reach out in the Force again, but her head was swimming horribly now. And she felt like she was trying to walk on a ship that had tipped up and to the side as it sank into the sea.

Mara felt her restraints release, and clawed hands grasped her and dragged her out of the room. The searing heat slapped her in the face like an oven, and she couldn't quite get her vision to clear. But she could tell that there was a red glow to everything around them.

Her wrists were bound to chains above her, a gag was stuffed into her mouth, and she was left on her knees.

**…**

Luke felt Mara's presence slip away, and try as he might, he couldn't get her back into his arms. When he finally did find, her, Luke had the sensation of being terribly dizzy. But he also distinctly felt her plea for him to not come.

_Never going to happen, Mara; I'm never going abandon you, my Love._ Luke sent back. _No matter what._

Luke snapped back to consciousness with a jolt. He heard a startled gasp, and he opened his eyes to find Leia, Han, and Cilghal standing over him.

"Master Skywalker, welcome back." Cilghal said calmly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Luke swallowed to moisten is dry throat.

"Mara is being tortured." Luke shuddered with disgust. "But she did manage to give me a few clues."

Leia and Han helped him to his feet, and Luke went to their computer terminal. He looked up any planets that were hot, profusely so, and would reek of sulfur.

"Care to let us in on the big secret?" Han asked pointedly.

"Sorry. Mara sent me a few images. One was of excessive heat, and the other was sulfur, I believe." Luke replied.

"Sulfur?" Han echoed.

Luke and Leia both looked at him. He had an odd expression on his face.

"Han?" Leia pressed.

He blinked, "Try Mustafar. Oppressive heat and sulfur: that sounds volcanic to me."

Luke typed in the planet, and was rewarded with a match to both Han and Mara's information. Luke allowed the Force to flood him, and it felt right.

"That's it." He frowned. "How can they be there? It's covered in volcanoes."

"Mustafar is hell, alright." Han agreed. "But they do mine there. There are facilities scattered about the planet, I wouldn't be surprised if Mara's captors' found one that had been abandoned and got the shields up again."

Luke stood. "I'm going."

"We are going with you." Leia stated.

When Luke began to protest, Leia glared at him.

"Don't even try it. You are not going alone. You will need backup, and that's final."

"And if Mara is indeed being tortured, she will need immediate medical attention." Cilghal pointed out. "I would like to come as well."

"And if we really are going to face a whole bunch of Barabels, shouldn't we bring Saba Sebatyne?" Han asked.

Luke sighed. He had been outvoted, and he didn't like it, but they were all right. Mara would need medicine, and if there really were that many Barabels, a few extra hands would prove to be very useful.

"Very well. I'll meet you at the hangar in thirty minutes."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**:

Mara made several more involuntary trips to the torture chamber, but her initial punishment seemed to be over, because instead of Sate indulging his sadistic desires, he now placed his hand on her forehead.

Mara was too drugged up the entire time to ask questions, and she was sure that's exactly what Sate wanted.

But Mara was not so out of it that she couldn't feel Sate systematically strip away her essence. Mara felt her presence being herded like a wild animal into a cage. Mara did what she could to fight it, but he was too strong.

_How is Sate doing this?_ Mara wondered between sessions as the drugs began to wear off once more. _He is not a Force adept._

And yet, somehow Sate was methodically shaping Mara into something she used to be… with an asterisk.

She heard clawed feet approach, and she kicked out at her captor, but her world spun out of control at the lingering effect of the drugs. Her captor simply swung his staff, and knocked her out.

When she woke, Sate was sitting with her again.

Mara felt Sate moving things around in her head. It wasn't until she felt jolt of pain that she realized she was no longer being sedated. She immediately reached out with the Force, trying to figure out how Sate was using it.

"Mara." Sate welcomed her. "It's good that you are awake. I want you to be aware of what is going to happen now: now that it's too late for you to stop the inevitable."

"How?" Mara croaked.

Her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper.

"How what, Jade?" Sate pressed.

"How are you using the Force?" She tried again.

"Ah. A good question." Sate paused. "It's not me, really. Palpatine is working through me."

Mara stared incredulously.

"Don't believe me?" Sate inquired wryly. "Feel it for yourself, then."

Mara did so, and when she touched him in the Force, Palpatine radiated back at her. She felt his sneer, could smell his contempt.

"Fear not, Mara." Palpatine's voice said. "Soon you shall be complete."

Mara felt a stab in the Force. But before she could fight back, she was flung into a stone prison, and Palpatine slammed the door in her face.

"Soon, my Dear, you will complete your mission. Skywalker is already in the system." Palpatine's cackle was loud and full of mirth.

Mara pummeled mental fists against the walls. She tried and tried to reach out in the Force to Luke, to warn him off, but Palpatine had also trapped that ability somehow. Mara went over every stone in the wall, seeking for any crack or weakness. But the Sith Lord was just too thorough.

"Sir." Said a reptilian voice. "Jedi Skywalker and his companionz have landed."

Mara froze with her back to the wall.

"Good. Keep his friends busy while Skywalker comes to Mara's rescue. Let no one interfere."

"Yez, Sir."

Mara slid slowly to the floor, trapped in her mental and spiritual prison, and wept openly.

**…**

Luke climbed out of his X-wing, and stretched his legs as he waited for the Falcon's occupants to join him. He felt several hostile presences here, and they were gathering fast.

Saba trotted down to him.

"This one will do what she can to help, Master." She said firmly. "There are many enemies coming for us already."

"I know, I can feel them." Luke answered.

Han and Leia, trailed by Cilghal, hustled down the ramp, all ready for a fight.

"Okay, kid." Han said. "If they get the jump on us, we will keep them busy while you find Mara."

Luke nodded.

"Cilghal, you said over the comlink that you had something for me?"

She held out one webbed hand. In it was a small box.

"This is a basic trauma kit." Cilghal explained quickly. "Give her a shot when you get to her, and it will sustain her until we can get her proper medical help."

"Thank you."

Luke's danger sense flared to life then, and he ignited his lightsaber.

He spun, raising his green blade in defense as a staff matching Leia's description swung at his face. He kicked out, and caught the reptile in the lower jaw. The Barabel howled, and suddenly the landing platform was crowded with several more of the reptilian people.

Saba and Cilghal each took on one or two opponents, exchanging blows as they came.

Luke leapt high above his attacker, and swung at the Barabel's head as he passed. The other raised his staff in a parry. Luke allowed his lightsaber to slide along the length of the staff until the emerald blade met scaly flesh.

The Barabel screamed, and backed away, holding the stump of one hand in the other.

Luke grabbed the Barabel in the Force and pulled him close. He held his blade at the reptile's throat.

"Where is Mara Jade?" He asked dangerously.

The reptile looked at his blade, fear seeping into his eyes. Then the Barabel looked back at Luke.

"The red-head iz in the lab with Sate." He hissed.

Luke cringed at the word lab, but he dropped the Barabel and ran off.

**…**

Han dove behind a stack of crates and supply containers the moment the Barabels on his and Leia's end of things began shooting. Leia was doing her best to deflect the shots aimed at them.

Han peeked around the corner, trying to glimpse their attackers. One of them spotted him and turned to fire.

Han squeezed the trigger on his DL-44, and it spat red bolts straight into the reptile's chest. Han felt satisfaction at the thing hitting the ground and lying still. But his moment of triumph was short lived when Leia took a shot to the bicep and fell down beside him.

"Leia!"

Han leapt to her side, checking her arm. She was breathing hard, but she waved away his concern.

"I'm okay."

Han risked a quick glance over the crates.

"They're flanking us." He called.

Leia opened a pouch on her utility belt and produced a thermal detonator. Han raised an eyebrow.

"Darling, are you sure that's wise?" He questioned. "We are on a platform high above a river of molten rock."

Leia grimaced, and placed the weapon back into its pouch.

"Good point." She agreed. "We don't need to knock the ground out from under our feet."

"Plan B?" Han pressed.

He again peeked around the crates and exchanged more blasterfire, while Leia racked her brain. Then she spotted Luke's X-wing, and she grabbed her comlink.

"Artoo, can you blast the Barabels flanking us?" She called, speaking loud so he could hear her clearly.

Artoo-Detoo acknowledged with an affirmative beep, and Luke's X-wing lifted off the deck.

"Take cover!" Leia warned her husband.

Not a moment too soon, because the two Barabels screamed as large red bolts fired from the starfighter… and left smoking holes in the landing platform.

"Oh, _shavit!_" Leia cursed, and Han craned his neck to look.

The holes were not too bad, but the metal around them showed signs of stress. Han found himself praying the deck would hold until they were safely away.

Saba hollered out to the Solos from across the way.

"Go help Master Skywalker!"

**…**

Luke crept along the wall, following the Force as it guided him to his fiancé. He peeked around a corner, spotted two men in white medical robes, and knew he'd found her.

Luke raised his hand and used the Force to put them to sleep. He then dragged their bodies out of sight, and entered the room.

Mara lay on a metal table, strapped down like a mental patient. There was a blank look in her eyes. Beside her sat a man Luke never thought he'd see again.

"Sate, Pestage?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"Master Skywalker, how nice of you to finally join us." Sate replied without preamble. The hate in the man's eyes was clear as day, but Luke's gaze shifted to his fiancé, who hadn't acknowledged his presence in any way.

"Mara?"

Sate patted her arm.

"Mara, dear. Your guest has arrived."

Luke felt a wave of disgust roll over him at Sate's use of the endearing title.

"Release her!" He warned, raising his blade.

Sate merely shrugged, and did as he was told. But before he backed away, he bent down to Mara's ear.

"Time for you to fulfill your destiny, Mara Jade." Sate glared openly at Luke. "Kill Luke Skywalker.

Luke frowned. "Kill me? Do you really think that is going to work?"

Sate nodded. "Most assuredly."

Sate stood, handed Mara a lightsaber, and backed away. Mara sat up, and Luke saw that her glazed look had vanished to reveal cold green eyes. They were the same eyes that had so desperately sought for his life all those years ago. Only this time there was no Talon Karrde holding her back.

Mara ignited her blade. Instead of the blue Luke had expected, he now saw that the blade was not her usual one. A violet radiance lit her face in vivid contrast to the reddish glow emanating from the lava below them.

Luke backed away slowly, his blade held defensively in front of him. Mara followed, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Mara, what's wrong?" Luke asked, reaching out to her in the Force.

His eyes widened in surprise. Instead of the usual presence he expected, and had come to know, Mara was now all cold and dark.

_Dark._ He thought.

In fact, Mara didn't really seem to be there at all. Yes, the woman before him was his fiancé, but Mara Jade was not really here.

"Attack!" Sate barked.

Luke's thoughts were interrupted when Mara immediately sprang into action. She leapt high, viciously slashing her blade down toward his skull. Luke blocked and backed away, but she came at him again.

Luke swallowed hard at her furious attack. He didn't want to hurt her, but she was leaving him very little choice to do otherwise.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**:

Mara cried out from within her prison, powerless to do anything but watch her body perform the will of its master.

"Luke!" She hollered. "Please no!"

She attacked her prison with all her might, moving from place to place. She had tried making stress patterns in the walls, and then had blasted those areas with the Force. But so far all her efforts had proven to be a waste of time.

And now she was in the fight of her life, aiming blow after deadly blow at the man she loved.

She watched Luke, could see him battling his will to keep her unharmed with his need to survive. He was an expert swordsman, she knew, and could easily take Mara in a fight. And Mara also knew that it was because Luke loved her so much that he was holding back.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mara saw Sate exit the lab and make his way to a safer location.

**…**

Leia rounded the last corner and stopped dead. Han glanced behind him out of habit as he also rounded the corner and ran into her. He was about to let loose with a snide remark when he saw what held her attention.

Han felt his jaw drop.

At the end of their walkway, Luke was being attacked mercilessly by Mara.

"What the hell?" Han asked incredulously.

"Han, look!" Leia pointed to a robed figure leaving the scene.

He spotted them, sneered, and disappeared around a corner closer to him.

"Come on!" Leia ran after him.

Han followed close behind, glancing one more time at the ferocious lightsaber battle, before ducking into the corridor after his wife.

The robed figure was running now, aware that he was being pursued. Leia reached into her belt pouch once more and this time pulled out a stun grenade. Han was beginning to wonder if Mustafar's hellish atmosphere was messing with Leia's head: but instead of throwing it at the robed figure, she turned and tossed it behind them.

Just as a small group of Barabels charged into the corridor behind them.

Han made a mental note to trust his wife's Force instincts more often. The robed figure was within firing range now, so Han let loose a salvo of blasterfire.

The man took a shot in the heel and yelped. He dove behind a pillar, and leaned out to return fire.

"Leia look out!" Han hollered.

He tackled his wife to the floor moments before the bolts reached her. He raised his head and let loose a few volleys, laying down cover fire so they too could find a place to hide. He spotted a half wall, and pushed Leia towards it.

Once there, Han released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Princess Leia! Enjoying the show?" Called the robed figure.

Han and Leia exchanged a confused glance.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Leia responded.

"We never formally met, but you know my name."

"Which is…" Leia prompted impatiently.

"Not important at this exact moment. But you didn't answer my question. Did you get a good look at the show Mara and Skywalker are giving us?"

Leia glared through the wall.

"What did you do to her?"

"What should have been done initially if you ask me." The reply was laced with indignation. "I tried to tell the Emperor that he should brainwash his subjects for complete loyalty, but he insisted that free will in his closest associates was key to success."

"The Emperor?" Han and Leia said together.

"So, what, are you Palpatine's last remaining supporter?" Han growled.

"I guess you could put it that way." The other admitted.

"What did you do to Mara?" Leia pressed.

"She is going to finish her life's final mission." The figure ducked out from his cover. "She is going to kill her fiancé."

Leia bit back the bile rising in her throat, and leapt after him. She ignited her lightsaber and swung it as his chest.

The man spun around abruptly, threw his hand up, and blasted Leia backwards with a surge of Force energy. She crumpled against the wall, and Han howled in outrage.

As the man laughed at his victory, Han grabbed a personal sized grenade off his own belt, threw caution to the wind, and hurled it at the hooded man. The man turned too late, his eyes went wide, and he shrieked loudly.

Han threw himself protectively over Leia and covered his head as the bomb blew.

**…**

Luke blocked strike after strike, ducked high slashes, leapt over low thrusts, and batted away Mara's violet blade any time it came too close. He had burn marks on his arms and legs where the occasional blow had grazed flesh.

Luke reached out with the Force, using only a small portion of his mind to try and find the woman he loved within. He had to work quickly, and between attacks, but he was finally able to locate a barrier deep in the recesses of Mara's mind. It was as impenetrable as cortosis ore.

"Mara, stop!" Luke called out over the din of the battle. "You don't have to do this. You can fight it!"

"I don't want to fight it, Jedi scum!" She hollered back.

Luke winced, but he recognized that the voice wasn't really Mara's. The woman speaking to him now sounded like a holovid.

She feinted right, and when he moved to block, she struck at his left side. Luke yelped as her blade met with flesh, and he could feel blood seep into his clothing. He back flipped, trying to put some distance between them, but Mara was relentless: she just kept at it, as if she were in a trance.

Luke was beginning to tire from the sheer ferocity of the fight, and he knew he had to make a move before his strength failed him. Acting on a sudden impulse, Luke opened himself completely to Mara, and allowed his love for her to envelope her.

She finally stumbled, blinking in a disjointed fashion. There was the briefest of flashes in her vividly green eyes before she shook her head.

Luke took advantage of the distraction to disarm her. With one hand, he reached out and yanked the lightsaber from her grasp, and threw it over the railing.

She howled, and tackled him anyway: if there had been any traces of the woman he loved only seconds earlier, they were gone now. Luke struck his head on the ground and saw stars. He felt his lightsaber drop from his hand as he hit, and it rolled out of reach. Mara was now driving her fists into him, landing a punch to the face that made his nose bleed, then an elbow to the ribs, and finally concentrating on his wounded side. Luke fought the natural instinct to hit her back, and instead grabbed for her hands.

Mara, ever the resourceful one, simply slammed her forehead into his. This time, Luke did black out, but only for an instant. When he came around, Mara had a short vibroblade held high, ready to strike.

"You killed my Master!" She yelled.

"What master?" Luke asked in confusion.

"I had no one but him, and you took that away from me!" Mara continued as though she hadn't heard him. "And Vader, he was supposed to be the Emperor's right-hand man! Guess that should teach us never to trust our second in commands."

"Mara, I…"

"He raised me, took me in when I was a baby." Again, Mara spoke over him, like she was reciting a speech. "And I betrayed him by not killing you before. I've taken my stripes: now it's your turn."

Palpatine had told Mara she would pay for her betrayal…

_Now this makes more sense._ Luke thought, abruptly remembering what Mara had told him about her vision.

There was an animal gleam in Mara's eye that Luke had never seen before, and it chilled him to the bone. As she moved to strike, Luke mustered all his strength. Taking a huge risk, Luke took all of his love for Mara, and created a mental grenade. He hurled it at the barrier he'd found in her mind, and barely got his arm up in time to block her stab. It didn't pierce Luke's chest, but it did slice into his forearm, sending ribbons of pain through his nerves.

Mara screamed as his mental bomb exploded. She fell back, holding her head, and Luke felt the wall crack. She looked at him, clearly at war with the orders that had no doubt been forced into her mind, and the love she now felt slowly seeping back in.

_Luke!_

He heard her cry out from behind the wall, and moved cautiously closer. Luke reached out to her, and as he did, a shadow passed through her eyes.

Before Luke could react, Mara jumped onto him, and drove her little blade into his back. Luke screamed in agony, falling onto his elbows. He tried to get to the blade still sticking out of his flesh, but couldn't quite reach it.

Mara hovered over him, the gleam in her eyes bright now that she had severely wounded him. And _that_ was when Luke felt the change in his fiancé.

She blinked several times; tottering backwards as the pre-designed release was triggered and the mental prison that held her burst open like a dam. Mara fell to the ground, putting her hands to her face. And as suddenly as she had awakened, Mara sat upright. She looked at the blood on her hands, and then at him. Her eyes, _Mara's eyes,_ filled with anguish, and she held her hands to her mouth.

A horrified whimper escaped her lips when she saw what she had done. She looked at her hands again, and then at the weapon she had stabbed into her fiancé.

"Luke!" Han's voice shouted from behind them.

Mara's head jerked up, and she backed away, tears streaking down her face. She climbed to her feet, shaking as she did so.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried. "So sorry, Luke!"

"Mara, wait!" Luke said through clenched teeth.

His vision was starting to go blurry, but through the Force, he could feel her pulling farther away.

"Mara, it's okay. Please…" Luke ran out of air during his request.

"Luke!" Han called again. "Cilghal, get down here now!"

Mara shook her head at Luke, still in shock, and then turned and ran.

"_Mara!_" Luke cried in despair.

As she disappeared, Luke felt his heart fracture, and he gave in to the darkness trying to claim him.

**…**

Luke's desperate cry filled Mara's heart with throbbing pain, but she couldn't face him. She couldn't accept what she had done. As she ran through a narrow hallway her foot caught on a limp form.

She hit the deck and slammed her nose into the hard surface. Spitting out blood, Mara looked back and saw what was left of Sate Pestage.

Bitter relief slithered into what was left of her savaged mind. She heard sounds from the end of the corridor, and leapt back to her feet.

Mara found a small ship no doubt used by the Barabels, and climbed aboard. And as she took off, she glimpsed the face of Saba Sebatyne, who was openly glaring at her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**:

Whoever had said that time in a bacta tank was peaceful had clearly never been in one. And that same person had obviously not taken into account a Jedi's ability to still feel the Force while unconscious. And they most definitely never accounted for the way the solitary prison forced it's occupant to relive recent events.

Luke floated in the thick, sticky liquid, at peace to the naked eye, but in turmoil on the inside. One horrible memory above all kept repeating itself on his subconscious, causing him to experience over and over the heartache of Mara leaving him.

Bacta would mend his physical injuries, and it may keep him alive; but it could do nothing to mend his shattered heart. And had anyone paid close enough attention, they would have noticed that even while unconscious and floating, Luke wept.

Leia could feel all of this as she watched her brother from the dry side of the tank. Her own injuries had not required submersion, but the doctors had ordered that she stayed in the hospital for a few days while she recovered.

And so it was that with not much else to do in between Han's visits with the children, Leia spent the time with Luke. She reached out to him in the Force, offering her loving support. At first he didn't seem to notice her, and she was awarded a brief glimpse into the depth of his pain.

A tear leaked from Leia's eye.

Luke Skywalker had saved galaxy and his family countless times. He had single-handedly re-founded the Jedi order, and had helped establish the New Republic. Luke had gone to great lengths to ensure the continued security of the people he loved. And in the process the Jedi Master had felt love, but had never been blessed to be truly loved in return.

Leia knew that Luke's love life was pock-marked with heartache and sorrow, and that he had pretty much given up all hope of finding someone to share his life with. Leia remembered many family gatherings in which Luke would look longingly at his niece and nephews, and discreetly covet her happy marriage.

But when Luke had finally found a woman he so deeply cared for, Leia had seen his loneliness dissipate like steam.

That was why it outraged Leia that Mara had left him. Leia didn't fully understand what had happened on Mustafar, but during a brief conscious moment aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ Luke had insisted that Mara hadn't been herself during their fight.

Leia felt Luke's sudden awareness of her, and then felt him gently but firmly pull away from her touch. Taking his hint, Leia backed off, dropping her mental probe. Luke sent her a brief wave of gratitude.

Sighing, Leia left the room, understanding that Luke wanted time to himself.

**…**

"He still lives, Mara!" Only Palpatine could make that news feel like hell.

Mara was deep in meditation, in the process of trying to undo whatever it was that Sate and Palpatine had done to her. She should have figured that because she had survived when she was supposed to have been disposed of by Sate, that Palpatine would make another appearance. He wasn't the type to just let things go.

"Not my problem!" Mara shot back acidly. "It just proves that you can be beaten, even when you think your plan is flawless."

"My plan_ is_ flawless, Mara." Palpatine assured her. He was in the same form he'd taken when he had first appeared to her two weeks ago.

"Right, just like the first Death Star?" Mara taunted.

Palpatine glared at her, and raised his arms. Blue lightning danced from his fingertips and slammed into her. Mara writhed under the onslaught.

"You are still under my control, slave!" Palpatine leered, still attacking.

"How?" Mara asked before she realized the word had left her mouth.

He stopped, and looked haughtily down at her.

"When you grow as powerful as I am in the Force, anything is possible. I want Anakin Skywalker to watch his son die, and for the two of them to spend an eternity watching the galaxy fall to pieces without its beloved Jedi Master!" Palpatine snarled. "And you will be the one to award me that victory."

"And if I don't?"

Palpatine was suddenly standing over her, and when he spoke, spittle flung from his mouth.

"Then I will destroy you piece by piece until there is nothing left of your spirit, mind, or essence. You will know every meaning of misery, and still you will kill Luke Skywalker before you are allowed to die."

Mara fell back from the sheer force of his presence, but she was determined to fight him to the last, for Luke's sake. Even if he never wanted to see her again, she would do everything she could to fight the monster before her from exacting his revenge.

"Never! You've already shattered my life, what more can you do?" She said.

Palpatine reached out and grabbed her by the throat.

"You don't want to find out, my dear."

Mara kicked him. "I will fight you! Every step of the way."

Palpatine's anger turned to pity.

"You have already tried that." He pointed out. "You have attempted to undo my work for some time now, and still you have not made any progress."

Mara dropped her eyes, because he was right. It had been four days since Mustafar, and for those four days, Mara had been struggling to free herself from Palpatine's cruel, durasteel grip.

"You are not strong enough to fight me, Mara, you never were. And you certainly don't have the ability to repel me." Palpatine scoffed, dropping her like a stuffed child's toy. "Alone, you are _nothing_!"

Mara snapped awake and lay still for the first disorienting moment. Though the Force trance had been mental, Palpatine's very real attacks had taken a toll on her body. She sat up, rubbing tired eyes.

_It's been four days since Mustafar, and four long nights of hardly any sleep._ Mara thought.

During the first day or two, she had felt Luke reaching out to her, trying to make a connection, but Mara had remained aloof, not knowing if she could stand it. Eventually his attempts to reconnect had ceased, which only deepened her regret and sadness.

For reasons she couldn't fathom, Mara had found herself on Tatooine after her flight from Mustafar, and now she lay in an underground room in what had once been Luke Skywalker's childhood home.

_I was still under the effect of the drugs._ Mara told herself. _The Force must have led me here._

That thought unnerved her.

Mara left the bed and threw on her jacket. She wandered the abandoned house aimlessly, feeling strangely at home. It was as if she were meant to be here. Restless, Mara returned to Luke's old room, and lay back down, trying yet again to calm her nerves.

She fluffed the stale pillow, attempting to get comfortable, and paused. Pulling the pillow to her face, she took a deep breath. It was barely there, but in the pillow, she could smell Luke. And with that childish realization, something in Mara clicked into place.

She suddenly understood why she had been drawn here. Now that Mara was paying attention, she could still feel traces of Luke all around the house. And that was why it felt like home to her.

Mara's breath became ragged, and she knew in that instant that she should never have run off. She belonged with Luke.

Palpatine's taunt returned to her.

"You are not strong enough to fight me by yourself, Mara."

_That's what the Force has been telling me._ Mara realized. _I've been fighting this alone, but that's why I can't make any headway. I can't do this without him, I'm not strong enough...and I don't know any techniques that could actually help._

But what if he refused to help her?

Mara pounded her fist against the wall, willing away the sudden lump in her throat.

"I have to try to make this right." She said aloud.

**…**

Luke could still taste the bacta in his mouth, and absolutely hated it. He'd been out of the tank for two days now, and he had just been discharged with instructions to take it easy.

Luke stood on the steps just outside the med center's door. He felt his heart beating in spite of his ache, a merciless reminder of how cruel life could be. His body's most essential organ had the ability to both keep him alive, and to allow him to feel. And yet for those two wonderful gifts, they were disconnected. When he felt emotional pain, his heart reacted instinctively, and yet it was merely a sensation. The heart was incapable of actually bowing down to the spirit's desire to feel no more.

Luke sighed, not knowing where to go. If he went home, he would only be reminded yet again that Mara was not going to be his after all.

_Home… what is home anymore?_ Luke thought bitterly.

Nor did he want to see his sister. Luke was grateful for her support, but it was also a bit overbearing for him. He wanted to be alone, and he needed some uninterrupted time to try figure out what his next move would be.

Making up his mind, Luke went to the Jedi Temple and an hour later took off in his X-wing.

**…**

Mara sat in the cockpit of her borrowed ship, trying to decide where to go. The afternoon suns shone bright through the transparisteel viewport, causing the automatic shades to kick in. She had commed the Jedi Temple, asking for Luke under the pretext that she had information for his ears only.

She had been informed that yesterday morning after his release from the hospital; Luke had disappeared in his starfighter, taking only his astromech with him. So now she sat in the pilot's chair, staring at the navicomputer, and waiting for the Force to show her where he was.

Frustrated that nothing was happening, Mara thought for a moment.

"If he took his X-wing, he can be commed via his ship." She said, thinking out loud.

_Right, Jade. Like Luke is going to talk to you after what you pulled. He's just going to forgive you on the spot._

Mara sighed. "But I need his help. He doesn't have to forgive me."

_He just has to help me fix my brain after what I did to him._

Mara hated herself tremendously for hurting Luke. Holding her breath, she typed a message and sent it to Luke's X-wing via his personal frequency code.

Mara swore under her breath when silence answered her.

Then suddenly a return message appeared on her display.

_Mara Jade? This is Artoo-Detoo. Come in._

Mara felt hope rise within her, and she typed back.

_Artoo! Where is Luke?_

_I do not know. He left the ship and told me to stay with it. I have not seen him all day._

Mara dipped her head.

_Where are you guys?_

_Master Luke wants to be alone._ Artoo replied cautiously.

_Please Artoo, I need him._ Mara typed.

After several long moments during which Mara feared that she had lost the connection. Artoo sent her a one word message.

_Dagobah. _

He sent her their coordinates on the planet's surface, and then asked her if she wanted him to tell Luke she was coming.

_NO!_ Mara typed emphatically. _I need to do this my way, okay? Please don't tell him you heard from me, or that I am coming._

_Master Luke is very sad. Are you sure I shouldn't tell him? _Artoo asked.

Mara cursed herself again.

_No. I will take the heat on this one. Trust me my little friend._

Artoo acknowledged and signed off.

Mara stared at the screen.

_Master Luke is very sad…_

If a droid could pick up on it, Luke really _was_ hurting. And it was her fault.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**:

Luke sat on the firm ground in a small clearing, his legs folded beneath him. The sounds of Dagobah's wildlife permeated the air, and the moon was barely visible through the dense layer of fog and the even denser canopy of trees.

But Luke filtered all this out, and focused on finding his center.

The Force flooded him, and Luke basked in its radiance, allowing the serene power to recharge his exhausted being. Luke was still physically recuperating, but it wasn't his knife wounds he was worried about.

_I think I understand now why Jedi were forbidden to form relationships._ Luke thought listlessly.

He sighed, and let that thought float away with the current of the Force. He toyed with the notion of reaching out to Mara, but resisted the impulse. He had already made several attempts to contact her, and each time she had kept her distance.

_She won't let me help her._ He complained, suddenly angry. _Why does she have to be so stubborn?_

Luke stopped himself, chasing his anger firmly away. He knew full well why Mara had taken off. Mara had been stripped of her awareness, had been forced to fight him, and then she had been 'allowed' to see her handiwork. And Luke knew that Mara had been watching the entire event unfold from behind her prison's stone walls, unable to control what was happening.

Her tormented eyes were burned into his soul, and he wanted more than anything to go to her and make her understand that he didn't hate her. But if she would not allow him to, then he was out of moves.

Because Luke Skywalker would not force Mara Jade to do anything against her will. He loved her far too much to do that. Even after she had left him, he felt a burning desire to see her happy. While they were on Nirauan, Luke had told himself that he would tear his life apart helping Mara. At the time he had meant that he would protect her from what he thought was her possible death. But he knew now that he had meant it for the rest of his life, as well.

Luke would always help Mara, would always protect and stand by her side… even if that meant standing with her from a distance she found more comfortable.

Even if it meant that his heart never healed.

_I just hoped that I would be a part of her happiness._ Luke told himself forlornly.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and Luke did not bother holding them back. He broke from his connection to the Force and lay down, holding his hands to his head.

**…**

Mara landed on a spot that seemed secure enough to hold the weight of the ship, and as the struts touched earth, Mara blew out a sigh. Dagobah's atmosphere had proven to be highly erratic, and would put even a seasoned pilot through the ringer.

She loosened her crash-webbing, and exited the ship.

Mara paused to reach out tentatively with the Force. Now that she was here, she had no clue where to start, or how to approach Luke.

Mara heard a soft beeping noise, and followed it to its source. Luke's X-wing loomed into view, and as she approached, his astromech droid spun his silver and blue dome to face her.

Artoo-Detoo whistled a greeting.

"Hello Artoo." Mara said, guessing at his words. "Which way did Luke go?"

Artoo swiveled his dome, tootling again.

Mara nodded. "Thank you."

She started off in the direction Artoo had indicated, picking her careful way through the jungle. There were swamps all around, some large enough to house creatures Mara had no doubt could swallow Luke's starfighter in one gulp.

And if that wasn't bad, the tree roots were so entangled in places that she felt like a kid on a jungle gym as she navigated her way through them.

After an hour of searching, Mara was beginning to think this was a lost cause. She bit her lip, weighing her options. She continued forward, poking her Force senses out like a rodent from its hole.

A branch snapped behind her and Mara spun on her heel, vibrodagger in hand. A large amphibious creature stood on a fallen tree, staring straight at her. It had long talons on webbed feet, and sharp teeth poked out from between its lips. She backed slowly away, waiting to see what the animal wanted. Mara's foot slipped on something slick, and she found herself falling backwards, her knife leaving her grasp as she flailed for balance.

She hit the water with a huge splash, and that was when the animal pounced.

It let out an eerie bellow, and opened its gaping maw. Mara surged to the left, and the animal's jaws snapped just inches from her. But it was quick to recover, and it slashed at her with its talons.

Searing pain raked across her right thigh, and Mara hollered in torment. She made for the shore, trying to get to dry land. Her leg was throbbing horribly, but her survival instincts had kicked in, so she ignored it.

The beast swam after Mara, and just as she scrambled ashore, it leapt out of the water with athletic grace. Mara had no time to grab for her fallen weapon, and she found herself wishing she still had her lightsaber, but Sate had taken her's, and Luke had destroyed the violet blade from Mustafar.

**…**

Luke woke with a start, unaware until that moment that he had drifted off to sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he moaned, trying to figure out what had awakened him. His groggy mind was urging him to go back to sleep, but the Force was alight with hot emotion.

A reverberating howl filled the air, followed by a loud splash, and the distant sounds of a confrontation.

It wasn't until he felt a searing pain in the Force, and heard a scream, that Luke realized something was terribly wrong.

With his eyes still closed, he grasped the sensation and followed it to its source.

Luke's eyes flew open.

_Mara!_

He scrambled to his feet and raced away.

**…**

Mara slashed at the creature with a tree branch, trying to inflict any damage possible. It roared in anger as she swatted its face, coming to a brief stop as it pawed at its eyes.

The creature looked irately at Mara and charged. Mara held her branch up, but the creature swatted her hand, and the makeshift weapon was ripped from her grasp. She stumbled back from the sheer force of the animal, and had just recovered her balance when the thing leapt upon her, forearms outstretched.

They crashed into another area of the huge swamp, and Mara felt her body hit the soft mud just off the shoreline. The animal landed atop her, forcing the air from her lungs. And then the displaced water rushed in.

Mara did the only thing she could think of, and bit down on the creature's forearm. It released its grip on her, and Mara clawed to the surface, gasping for air. The amphibian stalked her, backing her out into deeper waters where it would have the advantage. Mara tried moving parallel to the shoreline, but the creature wove back and forth, driving her into its trap.

She reached the point in the swamp where she could barely touch the ground, and Mara knew her end had come. She closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow, but it never came.

Opening her eyes, Mara saw that instead of finishing her off, the amphibian was suddenly cowering away, swimming as fast as it could to get back to dry land.

Mara frowned._ I'm not _that_ scary…why run away when you had me where you wanted me?_

A huge belching sound came from behind her and Mara turned to see an even larger creature bearing down on her position. Thick tentacles lashed out like whips, and encircled her waist. She pounded weakening fists as the water dweller slowly but surely asphyxiated her.

_What a way to die._ She thought ruefully. _Killed in a Force-forsaken swamp by a creature I never knew existed… and no one will ever know._

"It's no more than I deserve." Mara breathed out, going limp.

**…**

Luke reached the spot, and paused, heart pounding. Mara was nowhere to be seen. He spotted her vibrodagger lying at the foot of a huge tree, and bent to pick it up. Something came crashing around a stand of trees and charged past him, filled with terror.

And from that direction could be heard the sounds of something enormous splashing around in the water.

Luke sprinted around the trees and spotted Mara in the grasp of a huge swamp monster. Her slumped body swayed helplessly with the motion of the animal's tentacles.

Never breaking stride, Luke placed the dagger between his teeth and dove into the water. He both felt and saw the creature submerge itself, taking its prize with it. Luke followed, aiming for Mara.

He reached the tentacle, and stabbed at it with the sharp blade. The creature's howl was magnified by the water around them, but it held fast to its victim. The beast swung at him with a free appendage, but Luke managed to evade its arm, and swam up to the creature's face.

The animal snapped its toothy maw at him, and Luke twirled off to the side. He grabbed hold of a protrusion on the animal's skull and used it to get a foothold. Using all of his strength, and feeling his pulse pounding in his ears, Luke drove the blade deep into the creature's head.

It recoiled viciously, screaming loudly.

Luke released the creature, and tried to relocate Mara. His lungs were screaming for air, and Luke had to call on the Force to keep himself from passing out.

He finally spotted Mara's red-gold hair, floating like a raging fire under the water. The monster had released its grip on her, and was now swimming away. Luke swam even deeper, grabbed Mara under the arms, and hauled her back to the surface.

Luke's lungs were on fire when he broke the surface of the water, and he gasped hungrily for oxygen. Mara nearly slipped from his grasp as he treaded water, trying to get his bearings. He finally found the shore, and swam to it, careful to hold Mara's head above the water.

He reached the shore, pushed Mara weakly up the incline, and then hauled himself out of the water. He collapsed beside Mara, exhaustion making his whole body tremble. Luke pushed his fatigue aside and hauled Mara as far from the water as he could before his arms gave out.

Her form was still frighteningly limp, and she wasn't breathing.

"Mara?" Luke's voice cracked with emotion. "Mara?"

He felt for her pulse. It was there, but it was weak. He used the last of his strength to perform CPR, and was rewarded with her chest heaving of its own accord.

Luke finally could sit up no more, and he fell to the ground, completely spent.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**:

"You _will_ kill him now!"

"No, I will not!" Mara hurled back.

Palpatine snarled, and grabbed her in the Force. He yanked her to him, and held her close, almost intimately, and Mara had to fight to keep from vomiting on him. He looked into her eyes almost sweetly, sending chills down Mara's spine as she wondered what he would do to her.

Then, suddenly, he jabbed his gnarled fingers into her leg wound, and let loose with a vicious blast of lightning.

Mara screamed as the energy coursed through the _inside_ of her body this time. She could feel tissue ripping and charring, she could feel muscles collapse, and worst of all, her blood felt like it was literally boiling.

**…**

Luke sat bolt upright when Mara released a sustained howl, and he found that she was convulsing unconsciously. Luke moved closer, trying to hold her down so she didn't hurt herself.

"Mara! Mara, wake up!" Luke called, using the Force to penetrate into her mind.

Luke was immediately repulsed… but not by Mara.

He found himself lying flat on the ground again. Gritting his teeth, Luke this time pulled Mara to his side, wrapped his arms around her, and used the physical contact to help him focus.

He took a steadying breath, and this time snuck into her mind so that the other presence wouldn't catch him.

**…**

Mara was dropped unceremoniously to the ground in a smoking heap. She croaked horribly as her damaged lungs tried to draw a steady breath. Mara did not understand how Palpatine could be manipulating her here in this plane of existence, away from her physical self… and _still_ inflict damage to her actual body.

All she knew at that moment was pain.

Palpatine hauled her to her feet, holding her up by one arm. She struggled to get her feet securely under her, but her legs refused to support her.

"Kill Luke Skywalker. Now!"

Mara shook her head, adamant. "Never."

Palpatine smirked. "My dear, you have already effectively killed your lover."

When her head shot up, he continued.

"Oh, yes, Mara. When you left him dying on that platform, you broke his heart. It was actually very enjoyable to watch." Palpatine said, dropping her again. "Luke Skywalker, the galaxy's most formidable Jedi… doomed to live a broken half-life."

Mara knew he was taunting her, trying to poison her with their influence.

"You did a very Sith-like deed in getting him to fall in love with you, and then rip him apart." Palpatine continued. "And for that, I am very proud of you. But he still needs to die a very lonely and painful death."

Palpatine flicked a finger in Mara's direction, and she heard something crack. White hot needles of agony dug into her arm as her wrist snapped. She cried out, and involuntary tears leaked from her eyes.

"And unless you do my bidding…" Palpatine warned, raising a hand once again.

This time, Mara felt Palpatine literally ripping away some of her best memories, and with each one, she lost a little more of her true self. It felt like Palpatine was turning her into a blank slate as he had done when he'd first "acquired" her so he could mold her into his idea of a perfect servant. Only this time, it was deliberately slow and agonizing in a way Mara hadn't thought possible.

Mara managed to pull herself up onto her arms, and stared him down, daring him to kill her.

"Do it, because I will never again help you."

Palpatine sighed in exasperation.

"We have been over this before, Mara. You do not have the ability to fight me."

Mara shrugged. "No, but I will die trying."

"No, you won't, because I will keep you alive until you either complete your assignment, or until Luke is killed by something or someone else." Palpatine growled. "And that could be a very long time to suffer. Even you, My Dear, are not that stupid."

"Not stupid. In love." Mara said impertinently. "And I will not let you win."

"Let me?" Palpatine challenged.

Mara nodded as a bit of her strength returned.

"You cannot seem to do this without a patsy. And you chose the wrong one, so if you truly want Luke dead, you will have to find yourself a new puppet."

Palpatine stared at her, fuming, and Mara knew she had struck a nerve. Her joust had been a gamble, but she saw now that she had guessed correctly. Palpatine may be powerful, but he was still dead as to the physical world. And if he wanted revenge, he needed to use someone with whom he already had a connection.

_That was why he chose me_.

"Go to hell, _Master_, because I will not do your bidding." Mara stated firmly.

Palpatine was still fuming, but instead of the Force lightning she had expected, he impossibly drew a red lightsaber from the folds of his garments. Mara watched in growing dismay as he stared into the blade.

Then, with an animal screech, Palpatine leapt at her and drove his blade home.

Mara instinctively ducked, waiting for the blade to pierce her flesh… but the blow never landed, and Mara risked a peek to see why.

Standing between her and Palpatine's fury was Luke Skywalker, his green blade now crossed with the Sith Lord's.

Incredibly, there was genuine surprise on Palpatine's face at the sight of the Jedi Master.

"Master Skywalker." Palpatine said, quickly tossing his shock aside. "How nice of you to join us, we were just talking about you. Weren't we Mara?"

"Damn you!" Mara cursed him.

Palpatine lifted his blade in salute, and then struck at Luke.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**:

Luke blocked the Sith Lord's vicious blow, and drove the red blade to the side, kicking at Palpatine with a booted foot. Palpatine spun away, his black robes swirling. Luke followed, driving him as far from Mara as possible.

Palpatine swung his blade in a sideswipe designed to cut Luke in half at the waist, but Luke caught the attack and pushed the red blade away. Palpatine followed the drive, spun again, and drove the blade at Luke's middle.

Luke leapt back, caught the blade yet again, and swirled the blade to get Palpatine off balance. The Sith Lord let out a frustrated growl and leapt high over Luke's head, slashing as he went. Luke evaded the slice, and as Palpatine landed, he struck at Luke's unprotected back.

The Jedi Master bent his right arm behind his head and managed to catch Palpatine's saber. Luke used the momentum of Palpatine's attack to spin around, never losing his grip on the hilt of his lightsaber.

Mara watched in disbelief as the two sword-masters traded lethal blow after lethal blow. She had heard of Palpatine's lightsaber skills; had read of how even Master Yoda had not been able to defeat the Sith Lord.

But Luke Skywalker, now a much older and more advanced Jedi Master than when the two had faced off the first and second times, stood toe to toe with him. The two Masters danced a deadly dance, Luke going on the offensive more than once, and effectively driving the Sith Lord to his knees.

But Palpatine seemed to always have another trick up his sleeve. When Luke had the Sith pinned to the ground, Palpatine produced yet another red blade.

"Luke, look out!" Mara yelled.

Luke felt the warning in the Force as well as from Mara, and he leapt high and to the side. He landed and used the Force to grab at the extra weapon.

Palpatine merely sneered and pulled as well, and Luke stumbled forward a few steps. Luke struggled to regain his footing, but Palpatine jumped him before he could succeed. Palpatine drove both blades in at Luke's head, but somehow Luke managed to just duck below them.

Gritting his teeth, Luke steeled himself against the fact that he was now defending against two blades with his one.

He swiped his foot through Palpatine's feet and dumped the older man to the ground. Luke used the distraction to regain sure footing. Palpatine leapt to his feet and came at Luke again, wielding both blades in sync. Luke turned himself completely over the Force, trusting it to guide him.

Luke blocked a head strike and used his lower stance to push Palpatine back. Palpatine sneered indignantly and struck high with his left blade, while using the right to attack Luke's legs. Luke leapt and spun lithely between the two blades, and he felt them scissor around him.

Luke took advantage of the opening to kick the lightsaber in Palpatine's right hand free of the Sith's grasp, and used the Force to call it to his own. He used the double blades to catch Palpatine's next blow, trapping the single red blade between his two.

Palpatine merely twisted his hilt up, tilting the blade down, and was suddenly inside Luke's defenses. Palpatine's red blade gouged into Luke's right thigh, and the Jedi howled in anguish. Palpatine laughed in a short staccato burst, and pushed his hand forward.

Luke's head snapped back, and he flew across the space like a doll. He landed heavily several feet away, and lay still for a heartbeat as his vision cleared. Palpatine vaulted again, holding his lightsaber as if he were about to spear a whale.

Luke raised his hands, thinking his own weapons were still in them, and suddenly realized that wasn't the case. He flipped backwards just before Palpatine landed, and the lightsaber nicked his heel.

Luke hobbled back, but as he did so, he saw that Palpatine was off balance from missing his target. Luke immediately shoved at the Sith Lord with his own burst of energy and it was Palpatine's turn to fly backwards. Luke left the lightsaber where it was, watching from the corner of his eye as the blade deactivated when Palpatine's grip came free.

Palpatine lay still for a moment, and then finally rose to his feet.

"Impressive. You have grown strong since our last meeting." He complimented Luke. "You should have stayed with the Dark Side, Boy. Then you would have truly known power."

"I did taste of the Dark Side." Luke reminded him. "And I didn't care for it."

Palpatine cackled evilly, and raised his hands. Blue rivulets of energy danced across his fingertips and a burst of lightning shot across the distance toward his enemy. Luke also raised his hands and sent a salvo of his own lightning to meet the attack.

The opposing energies collided with enormous force, and now it was a holding match to see who could sustain their burst the longest.

Luke gritted his teeth as the raw power he commanded ate away at his nerves. Palpatine's onslaught was beginning to creep closer to Luke. The Jedi Master reached deep inside and pushed with all his might.

With a sudden outburst, both Luke and Palpatine were sent soaring as the Force literally exploded between the two Masters.

Luke's ears were ringing horribly, and his fingers were bleeding. He knew he had to get to his feet, but he just couldn't make his body obey him.

Luke dug deep down, drawing on the Force anew to sustain him.

**…**

Mara's eyes went wide when the explosion blasted both Luke and Palpatine off their feet and sent them sailing through the air. Luke landed in a smoking heap, trembling terribly as he fought the effects of the raw Force energy he had been using.

_I had no idea he could do _that. Mara thought in pure amazement.

When Luke did not get to his feet, but Palpatine did, Mara stood and ran to him.

"Luke?" She cried, dropping to her knees beside him. "Luke, are you okay?"

He nodded weakly. Palpatine laughed at the sight.

"How touching. Now you can die together." Palpatine hissed. "On second thought, Skywalker, you can watch your betrothed wither in your arms, and _then _you may die."

Before Mara realized what had happened, Luke was on his feet and charging the Sith. Even Palpatine reeled, screaming when Luke tackled and held him down. Luke held his right arm back, palm out.

Mara thought he was going to land a heel-blow to the face, but when Luke's hand did not move, she frowned.

Then something began to shimmer in Luke's open palm. Pure light was forming in Luke's grasp, and once he had a substantial ball of white energy, Luke forged it into a spear with his mind, and stabbed it into Palpatine's heart.

Palpatine's scream was a cacophony of anguished wails and curses as the blade met with his black heart.

Palpatine was not so petrified that he was unable to strike back. He drew a hand back, and, holding it like an eagle's claw, he stabbed Luke in the chest with his fingernails. Luke jerked away as though he'd been stabbed with a poisoned blade. He clutched at his chest as if to stop the poison from spreading.

"Luke!" Mara exclaimed.

Palpatine, also clenching his chest with one hand, used his free hand to unleash his most vicious salvo of lightning yet… directly into the chest wound. Luke immediately fell away, writhing.

Mara shrieked in rage, and leapt to attack Palpatine's back, but he merely stopped holding his chest, and swung his hand around. He hit her square center, dropping her to the ground. Palpatine howled with delight at the sight of both Luke and Mara thrashing under his merciless attack.

"PALPATINE!"

The onslaught stopped, and all three of them looked to see two glowing forms.

"Leave my son alone!" Anakin Skywalker ordered dangerously.

Palpatine turned, and glared openly at Anakin.

"Darth Vader. Traitor!"

Anakin shook his head. "Darth Vader is dead. I am a Jedi."

"Funny, I recall someone else telling me that on the Death Star." Palpatine jabbed. "And it looks like Daddy has come to the rescue once again."

"Not just him." Said a new voice.

Palpatine reeled, and caught sight of a middle-aged Obi-Wan Kenobi, standing just to the right. And next to Obi-wan stood the diminutive, but still commanding form of Yoda.

"To the Force, you must return, Sidious." Yoda ordered. "Or destroy you we will."

Palpatine bared his teeth at the little Jedi Master.

Mara managed to get to her knees, and located Luke. He wasn't moving.

Fear touched her heart, and she crawled to him, keeping one eye on the spectacle enfolding before her.

"And how do you plan to destroy me, Master Yoda?" Palpatine asked.

"By stripping you of the Force." Yoda said simply.

Palpatine guffawed.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Believe what you want, Chancellor." Obi-wan stated. "But it will happen. Turn away now, or we will proceed."

Palpatine's answer was to turn back to Luke, who Mara now held in her lap. She saw him coming and hugged her fiancé tight to her.

"What did you do to Luke?" She asked.

Tears streamed down her face.

Palpatine ignored her and grabbed Luke in the Force. He pulled Luke to him while simultaneously shoving Mara far away.

"Leave him alone!" Mara pleaded, coming to her knees in surrender. "I will do whatever you want! Just don't hurt him!"

"It is too late for that Mara."

Palpatine put his hand on the same spot on Luke's chest. Luke's face had turned gray, and his body was slumped. Palpatine's hand began to glow, and Luke's chest heaved as the Sith began draw out his life force.

Anakin Skywalker immediately sprang at his former Sith master. Yoda and Obi-wan also sprang, and they formed a circle around Palpatine. All three Jedi raised their hands, and within seconds, Palpatine stopped what he was doing, and began to thrash and wail as a roiling cloud of darkness left him.

Luke was dropped unceremoniously to the floor, and Mara gasped, but did not dare venture near while the Jedi were dealing with Palpatine.

Only when a blue glowing hand touched her shoulder did Mara remember the figure that had initially appeared with Anakin. Mara's head jerked up to see…

_Leia?!_ Mara blinked, looking more closely.

No, this woman looked like Luke's sister, but it was an older version with different eyes. And now that Mara was paying attention, she could see a little of Luke in this woman too.

Mara's thoughts were interrupted by an intensified volume in Palpatine's rants. She had to shield her eyes when an impossibly bright light drove Palpatine's oily essence into oblivion. And soon after that, Palpatine himself dissipated, no longer a part of the Force.

When the task was complete, the three Jedi lowered their hands.

Mara sprang to Luke, who _still_ had not blinked so much as an eye. She felt for his pulse, and panicked when at first it eluded her.

"LUKE!" Mara wept. She turned to the Jedi.

"What's happening to him?"

Yoda placed his hand on Luke's chest.

"A poison, Palpatine injected." He said. "Work quickly we must."

Anakin gently but firmly pulled Mara away, so Yoda could perform a healing technique on his former student. Mara watched as, drop by drop, the slimy black poison was drawn from Luke's heart.

Yoda completed his task and the poison disappeared into the ground.

"Complete, the task is. Go, we must."

Luke's chest heaved just then, causing everyone to look. His blue eyes fluttered open, and then widened as he took in the scene.

"Ben? Master Yoda?" Luke sat up carefully, wincing as his chest pulled painfully.

"Good to see you, it is, Luke." Yoda said warmly. "But stay, I am afraid we cannot."

"Neither can you." Obi-wan added, smiling at Luke. "This plane of existence is not meant to be used by the living."

Luke nodded as though he completely understood. Mara merely frowned.

"Plane of existence?"

"This is a place created by and in the Force as sort of an in-between." Anakin explained. "Both the living and the dead can use it, but only rarely, and it can come at great cost."

Mara nodded, seeing his point. "So everything that happened to us here, happened to our bodies?"

"Yes. And if you do not return to your bodies soon, you will not return at all." Obi-wan warned.

"Thank you all." Luke stood, and turned to his father.

They embraced warmly, and when Luke turned to take Mara's hand, he froze.

Mara thought he was looking at her, but then saw that his gaze was just to her right. She again remembered the Leia look-alike.

The woman stepped forward gingerly, a happy smile alight on her face.

"Luke, I am so proud of you." She said. "I could never have imagined what a fine man you would grow up to be."

Luke said nothing, but his eyes were alight with unshed tears, and when he finally spoke, it was barely a whisper.

"Mother?"

She laughed nervously, and flung her arms around her son. Luke held her tenderly, as though he were afraid she would disappear in his arms.

"I love you Luke."

"I love you too." Luke said, not wanting to let go.

Mara gently pulled him away. "It's time."

Luke took her arm and led her back to her body.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**:

Mara woke to find herself held closely by Luke. She waited for him to return to consciousness as well. When his eyes remained closed, Mara gently pried herself free of his grasp and sat up. She looked away from him, remembering why she had come to Dagobah in the first place, and then stood and moved a couple of paces away.

Luke was trying to hold on to the image of his mother. Finally he sighed, and returned to reality. He sat up, looking at Mara.

She had her back to him, and Luke could feel that she was at war with herself.

"Are you okay?" He asked tentatively, not sure where to start.

She nodded blankly, not turning around. Luke frowned. It wasn't like her to be so… quiet. He got to his feet, ignoring the aches and pains he'd sustained during his battle with Palpatine.

It wasn't until he took a closer look at Mara that he realized why she was being so silent. It was barely noticeable due to years of hiding her feelings, but Mara's shoulders were shaking ever-so-slightly as she wept.

He wanted more than anything to wrap his arms around her waist, but not knowing how she would react, he simply moved to stand beside her.

"Mara, please talk to me." Luke pleaded with her softly.

She looked at him with red eyes, and wiped at her nose.

"I have no idea where to start. How… how could you…" She stopped. "I don't know why you came for me, because I didn't deserve a rescue." She finally bit out, wiping angrily at her wet face.

Luke turned to face her. "Didn't _deserve_ it? What does that mean?"

She threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't know! It may have something to do with the fact that I nearly killed you." Her voice broke on the second to last word.

"And, if that's not the icing on the cake; instead of owning up to my mistake, I fled like a damned coward, leaving you alone and dying." She was ranting now, but she didn't care. She had to get this off her chest. "I don't know why you came for me, because after the hell I put you through you had every right to leave me to my fate. I… I felt it when your heart broke."

Mara's voice dropped.

"It hurt so badly. I couldn't control what I was doing on Mustafar." She looked at her hands, as if they were still slick with Luke's blood. "I watched from the prison Palpatine and Sate set up for me. I was in torment the whole time. But that doesn't matter, because I hurt you. I _hurt_ you in so many ways!"

She buried her face in her hands.

"I am so ashamed of myself Luke, and I feel so violated. How can I call myself a Jedi when the second Palpatine reached for me I answered like his lackey? That darkness is still in me, I know, but I had no idea it could be used in such a way."

Luke watched as the woman he loved with all his might crumpled to the ground, defeated in a way he'd never seen. Her sobs wrenched his very soul, and Luke knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Using the other hand, Luke gently turned her to look at him, and lifted her chin with his finger. She didn't resist, but neither would her eyes meet his.

"Mara, My Love, listen very carefully." Luke began, "I love you. Do you understand that? I would go through all nine of Corellia's hells to protect you, and if that was all we ever faced as a couple, it would be the happiest time of my life. As long as we faced it together."

Luke rested his forehead against her's.

"I do not hate or blame you for Mustafar. I know why you did it, and I refuse to let that come between us. Nothing and I mean _nothing_ will ever change how I feel about you." His hand left her shoulder to caress her head, and his fingers entwined in her flowing hair. "Mara, I don't care what happened in the past. And don't for one _second_ think that you are not worth loving."

Luke made sure she looked him in the eye before he continued.

"Because you are very much worth loving! You are my universe, and I need you. I _want_ you."

Mara dropped her gaze.

"But how can you love a slave? How can you forgive me so easily? I hate myself for what I've done."

Luke shook his head.

"You, Mara Jade, are definitely not a slave. You are independent, loyal, intelligent, and gorgeous. And," Luke took her face gently in his hands. "I do not forgive you."

She closed her eyes as fresh tears gushed forth.

"Because there is nothing to forgive." Luke finished delicately.

Her eyes snapped open in surprise.

"As for forgiving yourself, that is something you must choose to do." Luke told her, pulling her close.

She stiffened.

"And you were willing to fight Palpatine to the death for me."

It wasn't a question.

Luke nodded. She stood, opening her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. Mara moved away from him, wrapped her arms around her body, and paced.

"I… I can't accept that." Mara said almost automatically.

Luke stood now, his face hardening. He shook his head despondently, and turned away.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Mara watched as he moved away from her, and suddenly their Force-bond lit up with his sorrow. Mara caught a glimpse into his soul, and saw the raw pain and grief she had caused him, and yet, there wasn't the slightest tinge of anger, resentment, or even hate. Instead she felt his burning desire to love her with all he had.

And she could also feel how anguished he was that he had finally found love, only to have it ripped away. And what made it worse was the fact that she was still very much a part of him. That could never change, and Mara knew that Luke would never be the same without her.

_He found his way into Palpatine's trap, fought him off, and nearly died to save me. And this was _after _I stabbed him in the back and left him to wallow in his misery._ Mara's eyes were still on Luke's retreating back as her mind raced.

_What more does Luke have to do to prove himself to you?_ Mara scolded herself severely.

Luke's words came back to her: "You can choose to forgive yourself."

Mara closed her eyes and took a good, hard look inside. Locating her guilt and regret, she picked them up and stepped out from under them. They fell thickly to the ground, but Mara's shoulders were suddenly light as a feather.

She took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and stepped forward, ready to begin anew.

If Luke would still have her.

She panicked when she realized that he was no longer in sight. Without warning, Mara was racing after him.

"Luke!" She cried, desperate to catch up to him. "Luke, wait!"

Mara followed his trail for several meters until she was deep in the jungle. When she realized she had lost his trail, she froze.

"Luke, I'm sorry!" Emotions were threatening to overtake her again. "I…"

She heard a soft footstep come from behind, and Mara whirled. There he was, standing a few meters up the trail. His blue eyes were uncertain as they met her's. Mara felt her heart burst with pent-up need, and, awash with white-hot desire, she rushed to him and threw herself into his arms.

He held her tightly, and when she opened herself completely to him through their Force bond, his fears melted away like a chunk of ice on Mustafar.

She pulled her head back and covered his lips with her's. She felt his sudden swelling of longing, and Luke picked her up, holding her bottom. Mara wrapped her legs around his waist, and their kiss deepened. She poured herself into him, and relished in the feel of his very soul.

It was like sweet nectar and warm sunlight all at once.

"Mara, oh, Mara!" Luke breathed against her lips: he was so full of joy that Mara though he would burst apart at the seams.

They stumbled back against a tree, and Luke took the impact on his back, never breaking their kiss. Mara wove her fingers through his hair, and then allowed her hands to drift to his neck, where she tenderly stroked his exposed skin.

Her touch ignited fires all along Luke's body. He carefully lowered her to the ground and laid her down, finally parting from her mouth. He showered her neck and shoulders with kisses, sending shivers coursing through her.

She pulled at his tunic, drawing him closer. He nibbled at her ear, and, at her request, allowed his hand to wander down to her waist. Luke lifted her shirt a bit to reveal her stomach and planted tender kisses on it. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of his fingertips first caressing her thigh, and then tracing indistinct patterns down her leg, and back up again.

"Luke?"

He gave a soft 'hm?' against her shoulder as he lay down beside her and again kissed her bare skin.

"This might seem like a really stupid question, but…"

Luke lifted his gaze to her face. When she didn't continue, he probed her mind for the unspoken inquiry. His eyes widened a bit, and he pulled her atop him.

"Of course I still want you for my wife." He promised. "I want to grow old and gray with you, and I want to spend an eternity holding you close."

She smiled, and this time, her gentle tears were ones of bliss. She lowered her head to his chest, and kissed him there, and then moved to his chin. After teasing him for a moment by kissing anything but his mouth, she finally allowed him to capture her lips with his.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**:

Luke ran his hands along Mara's back, and when they touched the exposed skin between her belt and her shirt, her velvety skin felt so good.

He started to move his hand along her other leg, when he encountered four deep indentations.

"Ow!" Mara suddenly hissed.

Luke sat up, gently set her to the side, and bent to get a closer look.

"Mara, where did you get that wound?" He asked with concern.

"Before you rescued me from the tentacle-thing, I was being assaulted by another creature." Mara indicated her leg. "He got me while we were in the water."

Luke ran his fingers lightly along the deep cuts, soothing her through the Force.

"Thank you, but what about your own wounds?" Mara asked, capturing his hand with her's.

Luke became aware of multiple things at that moment: his chest ached something fierce, his thigh was on fire, and his entire body felt like he had jumped into a pile of live wires.

"Point taken." He acquiesced.

"Besides, you _did_ teach me the healing techniques, remember?" Mara got to her feet, and tugged him up. "Come on, there are a couple of bunks on my ship."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "_Your_ ship?"

Mara shrugged. "I, um, borrowed it from the Barabels on Mustafar."

Luke nodded his understanding.

They found their way to the ship, and each settled onto a bunk. Luke took Mara's hand before he lay down.

"See you when I wake up?"

She nodded. "I promise I will be here."

**…**

Mara woke to almost complete darkness. She allowed the disorientation to pass, and then sat up. She checked her chrono, and saw that she had been in the trance for nearly seven hours. She felt her leg and found that it was healed, with barely any scars to hint at the previous state of the limb.

Mara glanced over at Luke, who was still firmly under his own trance. Luke had suffered far more damage than she had, so it stood to reason he would require more time to heal.

She watched his chest rise and fall for a moment, smiling to herself.

Mara left the bunk area and went to sit in the cockpit, not wanting to disturb him. She had just gotten comfortable when she realized she was ravenously hungry. Mara rose, and made her way to the galley, looking for anything a human would call edible.

_This is a Barabel ship, after all_. Mara thought wryly.

She found a bag of vegetables and some kyrene ribs, and put them in the steamer. As her food cooked, Mara felt her vision grow indistinct while thoughts drifted.

Luke Skywalker was truly a one-of-a-kind man. And Mara knew from her time travelling the galaxy with Karrde that a man of Luke's character was as rare as they came.

The steamer indicated that it was finished, and Mara shook her head a bit, taking the meal out, and sitting at the small table. The ribs were divine, and she gobbled them up like a rancor that hadn't eaten in a month.

Again, she found her thoughts drifting.

Luke's loyalty to her was captivating, but it also unsettled her a bit. Mara wasn't used to someone, anyone, standing up for her no matter whom or what she was. Luke had accepted her fully, and without conditions.

And even after Mara had become lost, and had betrayed him, Luke still wanted to be with her. Luke wanted Mara to be happy, and he was more than willing to do whatever it took to make that a reality.

The fact that Luke still loved her with every fiber of his being, and then some, had been something she had always wanted… subconsciously.

It hadn't been until Nirauan that Mara had become aware of what she really sought after in a husband. And Luke Skywalker exceeded those expectations day after day.

"Mara Jade, you are one lucky woman." She whispered. "Don't ever take that for granted."

She spent the remainder of the night outside the ship, practicing the various techniques Luke had already taught her.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and she was lost in meditation when a stirring from inside the ship drew her attention.

Mara stood and entered the vessel. She checked on Luke, who was very slowly starting to come out of his trance. She wondered if she had enough time for a sani-steam.

Mara made up her mind, and jumped into the shower, allowing the hot water to relax her. She closed her eyes and permitted the water to run down her face. She finally felt completely at ease, and better yet, clean, and turned off the sani-steam.

Mara toweled dry, put on her underwear… and then realized she didn't have a change of clothes. Blushing in embarrassment, Mara wrapped the towel around her, and rummaged about the ship for anything she could slip into.

The only thing she found was a long tunic, and, out of options, she threw it on.

She again felt Luke stirring through the Force, this time more strongly. Mara went to his bunk, biting her lip in indecision: she was cold, with her hair still damp, and nothing to wear but a shirt. She gingerly climbed into the cot beside him, seeking the comforting warmth of his body.

**…**

Luke slowly came to two realizations. He was awake and something very soft and sweet smelling was pressed against him. He opened his eyes, and found Mara's head resting on his chest, with the rest of her body snuggled closely to his.

She seemed to sense that he was awake, because she tilted her head, and when her emerald eyes met his, they lit up.

"Good morning." She said softly.

Luke smiled warmly at her.

"I don't ever want to get used to this." He said happily. "I want it to feel like the first time every time."

It was only then that Luke realized she was shivering.

Frowning in concern, Luke immediately wrapped his arm around her. And _that_ was when he noticed that her hair was wet, and she wore little more than an oversized tunic.

Noticing his expression, Mara offered a self-conscious shrug.

"I didn't think to check for an actual outfit before I showered."

"I like the look." Luke assured her with a playful smile.

A sudden chill came over Mara as a draft from the on-board air vents let loose. Luke spotted a cabinet, gently disentangled himself from her, and retrieved a blanket. When he went to put it over her, she patted the place he had just vacated.

"Spend a moment with me?" She entreated.

"Of course. I'll spend as much time with you as you want."

Luke settled himself back onto the cot, waited for her to get comfortable, and then spread the blanket over the two of them. She pressed herself firmly against him, and Luke lovingly held her.

They lay in silence for a long time, simply enjoying each other's presence.

"You know something strange?" Mara said against his chest.

"Hm?"

"After I left Mustafar, I don't remember going there, but I ended up on Tatooine. And before I knew it, the Force had guided me to your old farm." She raised her head to look at him again. "It really put your childhood into perspective."

Luke shrugged.

"I hated it during my last few years, because I was so eager to leave. But looking back, it really wasn't all that bad."

She nodded, "And, you're going to think I'm crazy, but…"

When she didn't continue, Luke brushed her cheek with his fingertips.

"What?"

She blew out a breath.

"I could… _smell_ you. Feel tiny lingering hints of your presence. I even slept in your bed." At this she grinned. "By the way, I love all of your Imperial collectors' items."

Luke grinned sheepishly.

"What can I say? AT-AT action figures were pretty chic back then."

They shared a laugh, and Mara turned sober again.

"But I think the Force was trying to tell me to get my head on straight." She twirled her fingers against his arm, sending sparks flying across his nerves. "I'm certainly glad I had it there to kick me in the rear."

Luke kissed her head.

"We belong together."

"We do."

She thought for a moment.

"Luke?" She pushed up on her arms, and looked him in the eye.

Luke waited for her to speak, enjoying the thrill of her gaze.

"Thank you." She said softly but firmly. "Thank you for being so… wonderful. I really don't deserve you, because you are too… perfect." Before he could protest, she placed a finger on his lips. "And more than ever, I'm glad that you are such a loving person. You pulled me back into the light, and saved me, more times than I can count."

She leaned close to him, and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, Luke caught her arm. He drew her against him, and tried to capture her lips with his, but she kept moving away at the last second, teasing him.

He laughed, and the sound was like music to her ears.

When she still played hard to get, Luke gave up… and snuck his hands to her waist to tickle her. She jumped in surprise, letting out a little gasp.

When Luke kept at it, she squirmed.

"Stop!" she tried to move his hands away, but somehow he kept sneaking past her defenses. "Luke, stop!"

She was laughing good and hard now, and when Luke finally relented, she collapsed atop him. He drew her to him once more, and this time she allowed him to connect. Their kiss was deep, passionate, and full of the love they so tenderly shared.

Mara broke away first.

"Leia is going to have a field day with this." She commented, settling back against his side, and laying her head on his chest.

She closed her eyes and listened to his heart beating.

"Don't worry about any of that." Luke told her. "And don't forget that you have to pick out flowers by next week."

It took her a moment to realize he was joking, and she slapped him on the arm, just hard enough to be felt.

"I love you Mara, _so much_!"

Mara hugged him tight.

"I love you too, Farmboy."


End file.
